1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a remote control system for remote-controlling a data processing device such as a personal computer, and in particular, one for remote-controlling a data processing device via the Internet.
2. Description of the Related Art
Data processing devices such as a personal computer can execute various kinds of processes and are used in various situations.
Generally, in order to make a data processing device execute a process, the user must operate the data processing device or store, in advance, a target process (to be executed) in the data processing device. Here, the user should be near the data processing device so as to operate the data processing device or to store a target process in the data processing device.
On the other hand, a dedicated program may be installed in both a data processing device at the controlling side and a data processing device at the controlled side, so as to remote-control the data processing device at the controlled side. More specifically, the user logs in to the data processing device at the controlled side by using the data processing device at the controlling side via a communication line (i.e., in a remote form), and activates a program or the like stored in the data processing device at the controlled side. Therefore, the data processing device at the controlled side operates as if it is being directly operated by the user. In this case, the data processing device at the controlling side must have an operating system similar to that in the data processing device at the controlled side, and must have input devices similar to those necessary for directly operating the data processing device at the controlled side, such as a keyboard and a mouse. According to this method, the user can log in to a data processing device in the user's office by using a data processing device in the user's home via remote operation and perform the user's job.
If the data processing devices can be remote-controlled, they have various convenient uses. If it is assumed that home electric appliances such as video tape recorders and audio devices are controlled using a data processing device, it is unpreferable for a user in a remote place to carry a portable data processing device (at the controlling side) which has a keyboard and the like and is operated using an operating system similar to that built into a data processing device in the user's home. Therefore, conventional remote control methods are not suitable for remote-controlling the data processing device of the user's home from a remote place where the user is staying.